OPINION

Torpedo the sub plan

News, Postbag, Published on 01/04/2017

» I think I have a permanent pain in the neck from years of shaking my head over the Royal Thai Navy (RTN) and its quest for submarines. As a military man I am familiar with high-ranking officers and their obsession for certain equipment, an obsession often not matching real mission requirements. The RTN is out to purchase Chinese Type 041 submarines. The Type 041 is a diesel electric sub, about 254 feet long, about 3,600 tonnes, and has a normal crew of 38. The armament is six torpedo tubes firing torpedoes, and possibly anti-ship missiles.